Peninsula: Aiming for a Grand Slam

Tuesday morning.

Korean history.

Chen Jixian sat by the window, his notebook open, on which was a crooked cross-section of pork belly.

The label next to it read "Bake for five seconds, then flip," and the handwriting was much messier than usual.

Wang Hao leaned over from the back row, first glancing at the diagram of the pork belly's anatomy, then at Chen Jixian.

The white shirt was pressed crisply, the collar was open, and the sleeves were casually rolled up to the elbows.

A coat lay to the side, a navy blue baseball jacket.

Wang Hao has known him for almost a year. He usually wears either a school uniform or a hoodie, and he tucks his hair down with his palms.

I've never seen him like this before—

His bangs were styled meticulously.

The shirt collar was even turned up neatly.

She's like a transfer student from a teen idol drama.

He leaned closer and lowered his voice:

"Are you seeing someone else?"

Chen Jixian shrugged.

It's like shaking off a dirty thing off your shoulder.

"Eat your snacks."

"Want to go out for barbecue after school today? My treat!"

Wang Hao asked.

He did it on purpose.

Chen Jixian drew an extra line on the cross-section of the pork belly with his pen: "Something's up."

Wang Hao chuckled slyly.

He had an expression that said, "I've seen right through you."

He didn't ask who it was.

They didn't ask where we were going.

He simply took out his phone and sent a message to Xiao Chen:

"Take it easy, don't let Sister Han catch you."

Chen Jixian glanced at the screen, then looked at Wang Hao.

Wang Hao turned his head to look out the window, with an expression that said, "I didn't say anything."

……

Park Soo-ah, sitting in the back row, also noticed the unusual situation today.

She "met" Chen Jixian in the second round of the main competition.

There was no official broadcast of that event yet; she and several girls from her class huddled together, watching secretly filmed footage.

The person stood behind the baseline, dribbled the ball twice, and served.

The boos from the entire audience were abruptly cut off!

It was that ACE performance that made her start paying attention to Chen Jixian.

Later, public opinion reversed, and she created a fan site.

Several girls in the class also secretly joined in, calling him "Xiao Chen" in the fan club, but never mentioning it in the classroom.

J.Chen,

This can be understood as Junior Chen.

It's just Xiao Chen.

At this moment, the discussion threads on the site are being updated at a rate of several per minute.

Someone dug up a photo of him wearing a hoodie last week and compared it to today's photo, with a caption of only two words:

evolution!

"Xiao Chen isn't wearing his school uniform today!"

"It's not mandatory for senior high school students to wear it."

"White shirt, navy blue baseball jacket, sleeves rolled up to elbows, and hair neater than usual."

"They must have signed with some kind of agency, right?"

"Whoever picked out this white shirt today, I want to kowtow to them."

"I suggest you dress like this from now on."

"Sisters, wipe your drool first, the floor is slippery."

suddenly,

There were a few slightly different comments.

"She used to always wear hoodies or school uniforms, but she's dressed like this all of a sudden today. Could she be in love?"

The comment section was silent for a moment.

Then it exploded.

"Who? With whom? Where? When?"

"I've never heard of him having a girlfriend?"

"The tennis team manager?"

Does your school have a tennis club?

"He spends all his time playing basketball and doing practice problems; he has no time for dating."

"Not necessarily, maybe it's a requirement from the management company regarding image management."

"What kind of agency is so nosy, even dictating how many times you roll up your sleeves?"

"If it were a girlfriend, could it be Irene?"

"That's true, Irene unnie brought him rice balls before."

Soon someone typed out: "Karina unnie even endorsed him."

"His style of dress today is very much like Irene unnie's."

"Bae Joo-hyun's aesthetic is aloof, but he's dressed in a gentle style today."

"This outfit is more in line with Karina's aesthetic."

"What are you doing? Don't bring the fight for your brother-in-law into the station."

"So, now it's either Yoo Jimin's faction or Bae Joo-hyun's faction?"

"Can you please stop identifying everyone as your sister-in-law?"

"Have you forgotten that he doesn't even have a driver's license, so he can only go on dates by bicycle?"

"What's wrong with riding a bicycle? Can't we embrace the romance of the last century?"

"Who's in the back seat? Karina?"

"I can only imagine Wang Hao..."

Break between classes.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Wang Hao placed his phone screen on Chen Jixian's table.

"See for yourself."

"What?"

"Your sisters have chosen your consorts."

Chen Jixian: ? ? ?

He glanced down at it.

Then he muttered a curse under his breath.

How did this group of people manage to do it?

He only changed his clothes twice today, so how did he end up surrounded by a bunch of Sherlock Holmes?

Chen Jixian returned the phone to Wang Hao.

"So, you're now an unofficial member of the fan club?"

Wang Hao put his phone back in his pocket:

"I am your security team leader."

"They're already starting to have doubts. If you act this flashy again, they might just arrange your wedding."

Chen Jixian lowered his head.

I looked at my clothes.

Show-off?

It's very simple, okay?

……

……

It's less than a ten-minute walk from the subway station to the barbecue restaurant.

Chen Jixian, however, spent twenty minutes.

It wasn't because I got lost.

He turned three corners in the alley and stood in front of the convenience store's refrigerated display case for a while.

He checked the reflection in the glass to make sure there were no suspicious people behind him before pushing the door open and leaving.

In the late March evening breeze, his baseball jacket wasn't thick, but his palms were sweaty.

The barbecue restaurant is located in an alley in Gangnam District.

Bae Joo-hyun had arrived first and chosen a private room by the window.

She wore a thin, dark gray sweater, and her hair was loosely draped over her shoulders.

Just like when I taught him to stretch last time, there were no extra decorations.

"sister."

Bae Joo-hyun looked up: "You're here."

Chen Jixian draped his baseball jacket over the back of the chair.

He began to explain:

"I had to transfer to the subway and take a roundabout route."

It didn't mention the convenience store's refrigerated display case, nor the extra turns in the alley.

Bae Joo-hyun didn't press the matter. Her gaze lingered on Xiao Chen for a moment—from the collar of his white shirt to his rolled-up sleeves.

"Aren't you cold with your sleeves rolled up so high?"

Chen Jixian looked down at his shirt and tugged at the collar: "It's quite warm in the barbecue restaurant."

The door to the private room was opened again.

The waitress had her hair in a ponytail and was holding an electronic menu.

As usual, she read out today's recommendations, her tone as practiced as if she were reciting a text.

Bae Joo-hyun didn't look at the menu and directly named three dishes.

The waiter typed quickly, his fingers tapping crisply on the screen.

"...That's all."

Bae Joo-hyun closed the menu.

The girl with the ponytail repeated the dish name to confirm, then looked up—she recognized Bae Joo-hyun.

The female shop assistant simply blinked and then looked away.

There was no surprise at all, as if they were already used to it.

then,

She saw him again, sitting opposite her—Chen Jixian.

A white shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and a jawline even clearer than in candid photos.

Her finger paused on the screen for a moment, then continued typing.

The speed was even faster than before, as if trying to type every bit of shock into the menu.

She didn't ask for an autograph or ask any further questions.

Before leaving the private room, bend down to straighten the tissue box next to the baking tray and gently close the door.

Two seconds later,

Chen Jixian was about to speak,

A low but not completely suppressed "Daifa" came from outside the door.

Chen Jixian blinked.

Bae Joo-hyun's expression remained normal.

"Are you alright?" Chen Jixian asked.

Bae Joo-hyun picked up her teacup, a slight smile curving her lips, probably amused by his wary expression.

"Don't worry, there are many shops like this in the Jiangnan area."

"The staff have all signed confidentiality agreements, so no one will take photos and post them outside."

She put the teacup back on the table and straightened his slightly crooked chopsticks.

The movements were very natural.

Just like setting the table for my younger brother at home.

"You can also choose a place like this when you invite people to dinner in the future."

She didn't say, "You don't need to be nervous."

There was no "I'll teach you" offered.

By simply setting the chopsticks upright for him, I told him everything he needed to know.